This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Many televisions are now supporting a low power operating mode to conserve power when they are not turned on. In many cases a separate microcontroller remains powered during the low power mode, while all other devices in the television, including the main microcontroller or processor are powered down. The separate microcontroller that maintains the operation of low power mode is referred to herein as a “low power microcontroller.” The low power microcontroller is responsible for powering the TV on when the user presses the “power on” button on the remote control or front panel.
The low power microcontroller adds to system cost and complexity because it must duplicate some functionality typically performed by the system main microcontroller. For example, if the system supports the use of wake-up timers, the low power microcontroller must be adapted to keep track of time of day and determine whether a wake-up timer is set when the system is in low power mode.